Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School - Educating The Individual For The Benefit Of All - Why Study GCSE Citizenship?

Sep 5, 2026

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GCSE Citizenship is designed to help learners understand how society works in the UK through law, democracy, government, and the rights and responsibilities that shape everyday life together. The course develops critical thinking, evaluation of evidence, and debate skills, enabling students to take informed and responsible citizenship actions. It also supports career awareness by highlighting communication, literacy, and interpersonal development, linking the subject to pathways in government, charities, law, policing, teaching, and journalism. Assessment is split across Paper 1 and Paper 2 using Edexcel specifications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

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Reading Time8 min

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Why Study GCSE Citizenship?

What you will study

How is the subject assessed?

Careers Options

For further information

Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School Educating The Individual For The Benefit Of All Why Study GCSE Citizenship? GCSE Citizenship will appeal to anyone who is keen to find out about how society works and what life is like in the UK. It will deepen your knowledge of the law, democracy and government, rights and responsibilities and how we live together in society. The course helps you to think critically, evaluate evidence and debate ideas. You will gain the knowledge, understanding and skills to take responsible citizenship actions and play a positive role in public and democratic life as informed and active citizens. Careers Options If you study GCSE Citizenship you will have well developed communication and literacy skills, as well as good interpersonal abilities. Citizenship would be useful if you’re interested in a career involving government (local and national), charities, law, the armed forces, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, community groups, teaching or journalism. It can however help with any career. What you will study Living together in the UK • How have communities developed in the UK? • What is identity? • What are democratic values and where do they come from? • How does local democracy work? Democracy at work in the UK • Who runs the country? • How does Parliament work? • How is power shared between Westminster and the devolved administrations? • How does government manage public money? Law and justice • What is the law for and how does it affect us? • How does the justice system work? • Is crime increasing in society? Power and influence • What power and influence can citizens have? • What role and influence should the media have? • Does the UK have power and influence in the wider world? Taking citizenship action • Students will be required to plan and carry out their own action to highlight issues that impact on our community How is the subject assessed? We use the Edexcel Citizenship Studies Specification which includes the following assessments: • Paper 1 – 1 hour 45 minutes (50% of overall GCSE) • Paper 2 – 1 hour 45 minutes (50% of overall GCSE) For further information contact: I. Hinchley (Joint Curriculum Lead-Humanities with Citizenship ) - [i.hinchley@mountstmarys.org](i.hinchley@mountstmarys.org)[ ](i.hinchley@mountstmarys.org)C. Taylor (Faculty Director-Humanities, RE) -[c.taylor@mountstmarys.org](c.taylor@mountstmarys.org)

FAQs

What will students gain by studying GCSE Citizenship?

Students gain deeper knowledge of law, democracy and government, rights and responsibilities, and how people live together in society. The course also builds critical thinking, evidence evaluation, and debating skills.

Which topics are covered in GCSE Citizenship?

Students study living together in the UK, democracy at work in the UK, law and justice, power and influence, and how to take citizenship action by planning and carrying out an action to address community issues.

How is the GCSE Citizenship course assessed?

Assessment follows the Edexcel Citizenship Studies specification with two papers. Paper 1 lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and Paper 2 lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, each accounting for 50% of the overall GCSE.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by James